As sports betting continues to grow across the country, many states are embracing this new form of wagering. While some have long maintained a strict stance against the practice, others have jumped on board with regulated markets that allow bettors to place wagers through reputable and licensed operators.
The legalization of sports betting is a gradual process, with different states taking their time to develop the industry and adopt their own regulations. But even among states that have adopted sports betting, there are differences in how they handle things like official bets and how the odds of a game change during a live game.
Baseball games are some of the most prone to getting shortened or called early because of weather, which has an impact on bets. But the good news is that most moneyline bets become official once a game goes five innings or 4.5 innings if the home team is leading. This is true for full-game moneylines and all bets on individual innings. Inning-specific bets, however, will be void if the game is called during that inning and revert to the previous inning.
In baseball, over/under totals are bets on the number of combined runs scored in a game. The over/under line is set by the sportsbook and changes during the course of the game as players are added or subtracted from either side. The over/under isn’t affected by shortened games, but it will be affected by extra-inning results.
When it comes to props, the rules vary by book. A standard rule is that the bet will stand unless it’s determined to be unequivocally incorrect by the sportsbook. But there are exceptions to this rule, such as when a player’s stats change after the fact. For example, a fielder’s error may be changed to a hit in the official score, which would then affect the over/under.
Pennsylvania has one of the largest markets for regulated sports wagering, thanks to its proximity to the city of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The state launched its first sportsbooks in 2021 and is now home to 30 retail and online operators. It also offers mobile and in-person betting at its two largest free-standing casinos, including Foxwoods.